Creamy Tuscan Pasta
This creamy dish is crammed with flavor and color! Tender pasta, vibrant spinach, and chewy-sweet sun dried tomatoes all come together in a parmesan-spiked, garlicky cream sauce. A definitive show-stopper that’s requires very few ingredients!
I love how pretty this dish is! And that’s thanks to the colorful ingredients; there’s very little work on your part!
My inspiration for this dish was creamy Tuscan chicken – but I wanted a vegetarian option. This version delivers all the same flavors of the chicken dish – parmesan, garlic, spinach, tomatoes, herbs – just without the poultry. If desired, feel free to add about 1/2 pound of diced cooked chicken (or rotisserie chicken).
This meal is complete so you need little else. If you want to stretch the meal, add a salad or some warm bread on the side! You could also serve this dish as a side dish for the protein of your choice, including chicken, steak, pork, and seafood.
Creamy Tuscan Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces penne pasta, or short pasta of choice
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup diced oil-packed sun dried tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 5 to 6 ounces baby spinach leaves
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sun dried tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using) and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the spinach and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until wilted. Reduce the heat to low and add the cream. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and fold in the parmesan cheese. Fold in the pasta. If desired, thin the sauce with some of the pasta cooking water.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.